Former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini, believes Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s early concession after the 2024 general election disrupted the collation of parliamentary results. Speaking on Citi TV’s The Big Issue, Mr. Fuseini stated that Bawumia’s premature congratulatory message to John Dramani Mahama came when the Electoral Commission was still collating results nationwide.
According to him, Bawumia’s concession rendered activities at collation centers moot, causing people to lose interest in finalizing parliamentary results. “He did not help hold the country together; he created confusion,” Fuseini said. “There was no tension building — people were simply waiting for results. But once he conceded, people at centers like Ablekuma North, who were still collating pink sheets, saw no need to continue.”
This development affected several constituencies, including Ablekuma North, Tema Central, Okaikwei Central, Akwatia, and Nsawam-Adoagyiri, which faced challenges with their parliamentary results. These issues were later resolved through court-ordered recounts and recollation.
Mr. Fuseini emphasised that the Electoral Commission has 48 to 72 hours to collate and declare results after an election. Bawumia’s concession, however, came long before the EC completed its process, derailing the entire procedure.
In response to criticism, Bawumia explained that his prompt concession was motivated by a desire to spare Ghana unnecessary political strife.
